1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector which couples a female connector housing and a male connector housing so as to electrically connect their terminals with each other, and more particularly to a connector provided with a mechanism for detecting if the female and male connector housings are properly coupled with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a connecting device for male and female connector housings, if the housings are not properly coupled, a locking mechanism cannot be locked in a mating position. However, a connector in an incomplete coupling may pass a conductivity test so long as the terminals of the housings are in contact with each other. If such a connector in is attached to a car without correcting the incomplete coupling, the contact between the terminals is likely to be interrupted due to vibration of a car body thus causing poor conductivity.
Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 99381/1986 discloses a connector which overcomes the above drawback. This known connector includes an elastic member mounted on either one of the female and male connector housings to generate an elastic reaction force in the direction opposite to the coupling direction. When the connector housings are in a state of incomplete coupling, the elastic reaction force disconnects the incompletely coupled connector housings to indicate incomplete coupling.
The above connector has a construction in which the elastic member is mounted between locking portions formed integrally with each of the female and male connector housings respectively. Consequently, there is a contact resistance between the terminals, when they contact with each other in a state of incomplete coupling of the housings, that is, the terminals are in contact with each other at over their partial areas. A relatively high reaction force for the elastic member is required to disconnect the incompletely coupled connector housings. However, the higher the elastic reaction force of the elastic member becomes, the greater the resistance force of coupling of the connector housings becomes, thus making coupling difficult. Consequently, the connector housings may not be completely coupled to each other.